Category Archives: YouTube Blogs

On Saturday, people from all over the world watched the wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex wowed their global audience with sweet moments, all-star guests, and some funny faces along the way. So that people everywhere could join together to watch this royal union, the live stream of this landmark wedding was available to view on The Royal Family Channel.

And wow, did people tune in!

Incredibly, the Royal Wedding livestream was viewed 11.2 million times while live. At peak viewership, there were 1.29 million people watching simultaneously as Harry and Meghan exchanged vows, making this the fifth most popular event ever streamed on YouTube. And the total views from May 19, 2018, to date reached 32 million as people from every continent tuned in to see the ceremony, procession, video highlights and the married couple’s first kiss.

Viewership was the highest in the U.K. and the U.S., but people everywhere were donning fascinators and getting in the wedding spirit. The top five countries viewing the live event online were:

United Kingdom

United States

Germany

Russia

Australia

And for those who missed it but would still like a peek at this next chapter of royal history, you can see the video highlights available on The Royal Family Channel.

Last week we announced the new YouTube Music. Today, we’re excited to start rolling out early access of the new YouTube Music in the U.S., Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. To be the first to know when it’s available for you, head to music.youtube.com/coming-soon.

Here are six reasons we think you’re gonna like it:

It’s ALL here. Not just music videos, but official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube.

Recommendations built for you. A home screen that dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on what you’ve played before, where you are and what you’re doing. At the gym workin’ on that fitness? Escaping during your commute? The right music is right here, built just for you.

Thousands of playlists across any genre, mood or activity. Try “Blogged 50” to discover new music or “Indie Under Pressure” to get the heart rate going.

Smart search so we’ll find the song, even if you can’t remember what it’s called. “That rap song with flute”? We got you. You can also search by lyrics (even if they’re wrong). It’s “Starbucks lovers,” right?

The hottest videos. We’ll keep you on top of what’s hot! The hottest videos in the world right now are right there, on their own dedicated Hotlist screen. Today in the U.S., it features Anderson.Paak, Jessie Reyez, and G-Eazy.

No internet? No problem. Paid members can download music and listen ad-free and in the background. Plus, your Offline Mixtape automatically downloads songs you love just in case you forgot to.

To the Google Play Music users out there, nothing will change - you’ll still be able to access and add to all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play Music just like always. For additional information on what we announced last week, be sure to check out our blog.

We can’t wait for music fans across the globe to get their hands on YouTube Music! If you’re interested in learning more and getting access, head to music.youtube.com/coming-soon.

The live stream will follow the wedding procession, marriage ceremony at Windsor Castle, and wedding day happenings along the way. Afterwards, the footage will be reshown so that people can enjoy this wonderful event no matter their location or time zone.

Whether you’re from Blighty or anywhere else on the globe, all eyes will be on St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle this Saturday to see this next chapter of royal history.

Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez debuts as first YouTube Artist on the Rise

Many fans can tell you about the first time they heard an incredible new song or watched a groundbreaking video from a musical newcomer. Some of the most memorable moments with artists happen early. That’s why we aimed to capture those moments with last year’s launch of Artist on the Rise on YouTube’s Trending tab, which spotlights three songs from emerging artists every week.

To support and help more artists get discovered at every phase of their career, today we’re expanding the Trending tab feature with the launch of a new monthly program called Artist on the Rise.

The program will promote a diverse lineup of music’s most important new voices across all genres, connecting them with fans worldwide through in-product promotion and programming, out-of-home, social and fan events at YouTube Spaces. The Artist on the Rise Trending tab will also continue to feature three songs a week from emerging artists that are making a significant impact on YouTube.

The program’s first Artist on the Rise is Jessie Reyez, a 27-year-old Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter signed to Island / FMLY and known for her smoky voice, outspoken lyrics and soulful R&B hooks. She's grown from an aspiring artist covering hits like Adele's "Hello," to become a star in her own right, receiving the Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the year and partnering with Calvin Harris on the track "Hard to Love." In true YouTube fashion, she's cultivated a loyal fanbase over the years, racking up 22.6 million views for her breakout hit "Figures." 2018 will be a huge year for Jessie – if you don't know her now, you will soon.

To check out more from Jessie Reyez, head to her story on the YouTube for Artists blog and stay tuned on the Artist blog and @YouTubeMusic’s socials for future updates on YouTube's Artist on the Rise program.

From Beyonce’s livestream at Coachella to landmark videos like “Despacito,” “New Rules” and “This Is America,” more than 1 billion music fans come to YouTube each month to be part of music culture and discover new music. It’s also where over 2 million artists come to share their voices and art with the world. YouTube is where artists and fans connect: creating and discovering a world of music.

But YouTube was made for video, not just music. On Tuesday, May 22, we’ll be changing that by introducing YouTube Music, a new music streaming service made for music with the magic of YouTube: making the world of music easier to explore and more personalized than ever. The days of jumping back and forth between multiple music apps and YouTube are over. Whether you want to listen, watch or discover, it’s all here. YouTube Music is a new music streaming service made for music: official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio plus YouTube’s tremendous catalog of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that you can’t find anywhere else - all simply organized and personalized. For the first time, all the ways music moves you can be found in one place.

So what is YouTube Music exactly?

A new music streaming service from YouTube

A reimagined mobile app and brand new desktop player that are designed for music.

YouTube Music has thousands of playlists, the official versions of millions of songs, albums, artist radio and more, in addition to all the music videos people expect from YouTube.

Find more of the music you’re looking for

Remixes, covers, live versions as well as deep cuts you can’t find anywhere else – from the biggest artists in the world to freshest voices breaking through.

YouTube Music’s personalized home screen dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on people’s listening history, where they are and what they’re doing. At the airport? We’ll recommend something relaxing before the flight. Entering the gym? We’ll suggest some beats to get the heart-rate going.

Thousands of playlists built to help you discover new music. That means no matter what kind of music you like, where you are, what you’re doing, or what mood you’re in, you can easily find the right playlist for that moment.

While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, we’re also launching YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for $9.99 a month. If you are a subscriber to Google Play Music, good news, you get a YouTube Music Premium membership as part of your subscription each month. And if you use Google Play Music, nothing will change -- you’ll still be able to access all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play Music just like always.

To extend the features of YouTube Music Premium beyond the music app, we’re soon introducing YouTube Premium, the new name for our YouTube Red subscription service. YouTube Premium includes ad-free, background and offline across all of YouTube, as well as access to all YouTube Originals including Cobra Kai, Step Up: High Water and Youth & Consequences. YouTube Premium will continue to provide an ad-free experience, background play, and downloads across the millions of videos on YouTube. But because it includes our brand new YouTube Music service, the price will be $11.99 for all new members. If you’re already a YouTube Red (soon to be YouTube Premium) member, don’t worry you’ll still enjoy your current price.

Starting Tuesday, we're rolling out the new YouTube Music experience in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea*. It will expand more broadly in the coming weeks. We’ll also soon be launching in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. If you want to know when the new YouTube Music is available in your country, head to music.youtube.com/coming-soon and let us know you’re interested.

Since launching YouTube Red in 2015, we’ve been thrilled with how people are enjoying the service, whether it’s downloading videos for a flight, binging the first season of Cobra Kai, or listening to the wide breadth of ad-free music. As part of ongoing enhancements to the member experience, today we’re excited to announce that YouTube Red is becoming YouTube Premium!

The new YouTube Premium includes:

The new YouTube Music: ad-free, with background listening and downloads

More, bigger original series and movies

Ad-free, background play, and downloads across YouTube

It’s all coming soon to even more countries.

YouTube Music

The new YouTube Music is a music streaming service that combines music listening with the magic of YouTube: making the world of music easier to explore and more personalized than ever. YouTube Music includes a reimagined mobile app and brand new desktop player that are designed for music.

With YouTube Premium, you’ll get access to the full slate of YouTube Originals, including recent hits like the Karate Kid-inspired series, Cobra Kai, the dance drama, Step Up: High Water, and upcoming series like the sci-fi thriller, Impulse, and Liza Koshy's Liza on Demand.

More new Originals from around the globe are on the way—featuring comedies, dramas, reality series and action adventure shows from the U.K., Germany, France, Mexico, and more.

Ad-free, background play, and downloads across YouTube

YouTube Premium will continue to provide an ad-free experience, background play, and downloads across the millions of videos on YouTube, which simultaneously supports our incredible creators and artists.

Pricing and Availability

YouTube Premium rolls out soon in existing markets: the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea*. It’s also coming soon to new markets: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. We look forward to more expansion throughout 2018 and beyond.

YouTube Premium will be available for $11.99 per month (U.S. price) or you can unlock the full experience of the new YouTube Music by itself with Music Premium for $9.99 per month (U.S. price).

When YouTube Premium launches, YouTube Red members will automatically receive access at their current price. In countries where YouTube Red is currently available, a new member can also secure this price ($9.99 in the U.S.) by joining now at youtube.com/red.**

*South Korea will only offer YouTube Premium at the current price of YouTube Red.**If that price changes in the future, we will give plenty of notice

Today, we welcome 47 incredible creators to the YouTube Creators for Change program as the 2018 class of Ambassadors. This global initiative, which we kicked off in 2016, spotlights inspirational creators who use YouTube’s global reach to change conversations around tough issues and make a truly positive impact on the world. Chosen for their passion and dedication to creating social change, these YouTube creators come from over 16 countries and represent a combined audience of 20 million fans:

The 2018 class features 31 new creators as well as 16 creators from last year’s program (those returning are distinguished with a *):

As part of our $5M investment in this program, these creators will receive support from YouTube through a combination of project funding, mentorship opportunities, and ongoing production assistance at our YouTube Spaces. They’ll also join us for our second annual Social Impact Camp at YouTube Space London this summer. The Social Impact Camp is an exclusive two-day-long camp featuring inspirational speakers, video production workshops, and mentorship opportunities with experts as well as time for the Ambassadors to connect with one another.

We’re also joining forces with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and social change agency Love Frankie to support YouTube creators from the Asia-Pacific region who are passionate about creating social impact and tackling tough issues through their videos. First up for this new partnership will be a series of Boot Camps in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand between June - November 2018 where local creators will workshop creating content about local issues alongside experts such as NGOs, academic authorities, and subject matter specialists. Following these Boot Camps, select local creators will participate in a three-month Academy Program that includes mentoring from Creators for Change Ambassadors, local experts, and NGOs to help produce informed, high-quality content that resonates in their countries.

Over the next few months, the 2018 Creators for Change Ambassadors will kick off projects addressing hate speech, xenophobia and/or extremism through different creative forms, such as a series celebrating the Black community within Brazil and a video project that creates awareness about the negative impact that hate speech can have on mental and physical well-being. There are many more incredible ideas in the works -- we can’t wait to share more from these inspiring YouTube role models soon.

To the creators who are joining us as 2018 Ambassadors: thank you. We’re humbled to be working with you on sharing your messages of hope and tolerance.

Primetime is no longer defined by the time the show is aired, but by the connection that content has with its audience. We see this reflected through over 150 million hours of YouTube watchtime per day on TV screens alone.1 In this next era of entertainment and information, we're more committed than ever to YouTube being a platform for fresh voices, authentic stories, and thought-provoking dialogue.

Tonight at our seventh annual newfront event, Brandcast, we unveiled the latest content trends and new ways for advertisers to connect with their most attentive audience to drive unmatched results for their business. Brandcast is where advertisers, creators and fans come together to celebrate the vibrant community of YouTube.

Doubling down on can’t-get-enough-of original content

At last year’s Brandcast, we announced our new slate of ad-supported YouTube Originals, bringing shows from top Hollywood talent and YouTube creators to everyone, everywhere. From the Slow Mo Guys to Kevin Hart, our first year slate of brand-sponsored shows amassed over 700 million views across all episodes and related clips.2

Katy Perry’s 96-hour livestream, “Witness World Wide,” was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 TV shows of 2017, and just today, “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated” was nominated for Best Music Documentary for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. All of this content was free and available to YouTube’s 1.8 billion monthly logged-in users3 as a result of partnerships with brands like Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Ulta Beauty, LL Bean and more.

As we move into our second year, we plan to build on the success of our first. We’re using the global reach of YouTube to shine a light on the human stories that inspire us, make us smarter and demonstrate the potential of what we can achieve. Here’s a sneak peek of a new slate of shows that will not only engage and entertain, but also celebrate diverse and authentic voices:

Will Smith: The Jump Off: In partnership with Westbrook Entertainment, Will Smith is going to epic heights in his new YouTube Original, “Will Smith: The Jump Off.” In this special, Will accepts the ultimate YouTube fan challenge to bungee jump from a helicopter—all to raise awareness for charity. The cameras will follow him as he prepares for the big jump, which we’ll livestream on his birthday.

Priyanka Chopra: If I Could Tell You Just One Thing: From Sundog Pictures, Priyanka Chopra will go on a personal journey to meet the world’s most successful and inspirational people—each time asking them for advice they feel can change the world. From actors and politicians to religious leaders and environmentalists, star of the show Priyanka will speak with the people who will go down in history as having challenged the status quo.

Jack Whitehall: Training Days: In this show, comedian and actor Jack Whitehall trains with the world’s most elite soccer players—and has a little behind-the-scenes fun in the process. Sponsored by Wendy’s in the U.S., “Training Days” is executive produced by James Corden and Fulwell 73 and will launch to fans around the world on Jack’s YouTube channel on May 9, ahead of the World Cup.

Best Shot: Executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, “Best Shot” is a new documentary series following the Newark Central High School Blue Devils as they find community through basketball and receive mentorship from former NBA player Jay Williams. Directed by Michael John Warren and produced by SpringHill Entertainment and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Blue Ribbon Content, “Best Shot” will debut on the NBA YouTube channel this summer.

After generating significant viewership, we’re bringing back these audience favorites:

Untitled Demi Lovato Project: In her new YouTube Original, Demi is returning to show fans a side of herself beyond her music to raise awareness about issues that matter. Demi will draw from personal experiences and passions to pay it forward to some of her biggest fans and closest friends. From Philymack Productions and London Alley.

The Super Slow Show Season 2: In partnership with Rooster Teeth Productions, the Slow Mo Guys are returning with a renewed focus on science, technology, engineering and math. Through the lens of education, the Slow Mo Guys will explore the tiniest phenomena and greatest spectacles—all in slow motion.

Kevin Hart: What the Fit Season 2: Kevin Hart is returning with even bigger punch lines and celebrity guests. In partnership with Lionsgate and Laugh Out Loud Network, this second season will raise more awareness of healthy living and wellness, as Kevin and his celebrity friends try out some of the most unique and outlandish workout routines.

In addition to the can’t-miss shows above, we’re also excited to announce we will be rolling out even more Artist Spotlight Stories—intimate and personal video portraits of music artists who are pushing the boundaries of creativity and connecting with fans in unique and powerful ways on YouTube. We will be partnering with artists, including Shawn Mendes, J Balvin, Janelle Monáe, and more, on Spotlight Stories this year.

Making even more top content accessible to advertisers

Every one of the shows outlined above will be available through Google Preferred—our premium content offering for advertisers—so that brands can continue to access some of the most popular stars and inspiring stories on YouTube. Year-over-year, we continue to see tremendous growth from Google Preferred. In fact, Google Preferred Lineups reach more 18-49 year-olds monthly than any cable network or full episode player.4

Today, we’re adding to that momentum. For the very first time, Google Preferred Lineups and Breakout Videos will include our complete music universe, including eligible VEVO channels and videos. This gives brands the unprecedented opportunity to advertise against virtually all music in the world, from fresh talent to the most popular music icons. Thank you to our partners at Sony Music, Universal Music Group and VEVO who have joined Warner Music Group and countless independent record labels to bring all of this exciting music to you.

We’re also focused on giving brands even more opportunities to advertise against some of the most influential live music events with Google Preferred and sponsorships. Once again, we are an official livestream partner of the Global Citizen Festival, and we will livestream shows from multiple cities around the world. And, we’re thrilled to announce we have renewed our exclusive livestream partnership with Coachella for an additional three years. The renewal will take YouTube through 2021, which will mark 11 consecutive years of a Coachella webcast on YouTube.

Beyond music, we are also launching a new product improvement to help advertisers reach audiences among some of YouTube’s most popular content. We’re adding new signals to enhance affinity segments on Google Preferred so advertisers can engage with the most relevant audience, creating a richer experience for brands and users alike.

Offering undivided attention and unmatched results

We’ve always believed that when you put the user first, great things will follow. By providing our audience with a home for immersive, engaging video content and our advertising partners new ways to reach their customers that are relevant and assistive, we can deliver greater impact for everyone. Looking across Nielsen Matched Panel Analysis (MPA) studies we’ve run to date, we see that over 70 percent of YouTube campaigns drove a significant lift on offline sales.5

We recognize the need to hold ourselves accountable with first- and third-party measurement tools. That's why we've partnered with trusted experts, such as MOAT on viewability and Nielsen on reach, among others. And tonight we announced we'll continue this work by extending sales lift measurement to Nielsen Catalina Solutions, soon giving advertisers a new option to measure the effectiveness of YouTube campaigns at moving products off the shelves.

With cord-cutting on the rise, brands have been looking for new ways to connect with an important part of their audience that are harder than ever to reach. According to fresh Nielsen data, more than half of 18- to 49-year-olds in the U.S. are either light viewers of TV or do not subscribe to TV; but over 90 percent of these people watch YouTube.1 Today we’re introducing a new set of opportunities on YouTube to help brands reach these viewers across content and devices.

YouTube audiences on TV screensWe’re amidst the second major shift in how people watch video on YouTube. In the past few years, we witnessed mobile viewership exceed desktop, marking the first major shift in how people interacted with YouTube. Now, in 2018, viewers are returning to that original, purpose-built device for video viewing – the television set.

At YouTube we’ve brought people back to the big screen by building a rich YouTube experience for set-top boxes, gaming consoles, streaming devices and smart TVs of all stripes. And now TV screens are our fastest growing screen counting over 150 million hours of watch time per day.2

We heard from advertisers that they want in so we have been working to make it easy for you to find your most engaged, valuable audience while they are watching YouTube on a TV set, with the new TV screens device type. In the coming months, we’ll add TV screens – joining computers, mobile phones and tablets – to AdWords and DoubleClick Bid Manager, so advertisers globally can tailor their campaigns for this environment – for example, by using a different creative.

We’ve already seen that people react positively to ads on the TV screen – based on Ipsos Lab Experiments, YouTube ads shown on TV drove a significant lift in ad recall and purchase intent, with an average lift of 47 percent and 35 percent respectively.3

YouTube audiences on every screenAnd for brands who want help reaching cord cutters, we now offer a new segment in AdWords called “light TV viewers.” Advertisers will be able to reach people who consume most of their television and video content online and might be harder to reach via traditional media. This audience is reachable on YouTube across computers, mobile, tablets, and TV screens.

Welcoming YouTube TV to Google PreferredLast year we launched YouTube TV, a new way to enjoy cable-free live TV. Now a year in, YouTube TV continues to gain momentum – we’ve recently added new networks to our service, expanded availability to over 85 percent of U.S. households in nearly 100 TV markets, and announced partnerships with major sports leagues. For the first time, this upcoming broadcast season advertisers will be able to access full length TV inventory in Google Preferred.

Content from some cable networks in the U.S. will be part of Google Preferred lineups so that brands can continue to engage their audience across all platforms. This means advertisers will be able to get both the most popular YouTube content and traditional TV content in a single campaign – plus, we’ll dynamically insert these ads, giving advertisers the ability to show relevant ads to the right audiences, rather than just showing everyone the same ad as they might on traditional TV.

As marketers continue to break the silos and think of holistic media plans, we’re excited to enable the opportunity. Because while TV screen viewing is big and growing fast, video is everywhere and the key is connecting with viewers wherever they watch.

Posted by Debbie Weinstein, Managing Director, YouTube/Video Global Solutions 1Google commissioned Nielsen custom fusion study. Desktop, mobile and TV fusion. TV measurement of television distribution sources and total minutes watched. Reach among persons 18-49. Light TV viewers represent the bottom tercile of total TV watchers based on total minutes viewed. October 2017.2YouTube Internal Data. Global, accurate as of Jan 2018. Based on seven day average of watch time for TV screen devices, which include smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV and game consoles.3Google/Ipsos Lab Experiment, U.S., March 2018 (32 ads, 800 U.S. residents, 18-64 y/o)

When we launched the YouTube Kids app three years ago, our goal was to give kids around the world a place to access videos that were enriching, engaging and allowed them to explore their endless interests.

Since then, our team has continued to work to improve the app experience for kids and families around the world. One area of focus has been building new features that give parents even more control around the content available in the YouTube Kids app so they can make the right choice for their unique family and for each child within their family.

We are excited to announce that throughout the year, we will be rolling out three new options in YouTube Kids:

Collections by trusted partners and YouTube Kids: Starting this week, our partners and the YouTube Kids team will offer collections of trusted channels on a variety of subjects from arts & crafts and music to sports, learning, and so much more. This makes it easy for parents to select only the channel collections and topics they want their kids to access. Just go into Profile Settings, and select from available collections such as Sesame Workshop and PBS KIDS. We will continue to add more partners over time.

Parent approved content: Parents know better than anyone what they want their children to watch. For those parents who want even more control over the videos and channels in the YouTube Kids app, we’re rolling out a feature later this year that will allow parents to specifically handpick every video and channel available to their child in the app.

Improved search-off control for an even more contained experience: Parents have always been able to turn search off within the YouTube Kids app, but starting this week turning search off will limit the YouTube Kids experience to channels that have been verified by the YouTube Kids team. This means that search off will not include recommendations from the broader YouTube Kids corpus.

For parents who like the current version of YouTube Kids and want a wider selection of content, it’s still available. While no system is perfect, we continue to fine-tune, rigorously test and improve our filters for this more open version of our app. And, as always, we encourage parents to block and flag videos for review that they don't think should be in the YouTube Kids app. This makes YouTube Kids better for everyone.

It is our hope that these additional options will allow every family to have the experience they want in the YouTube Kids app.

James Beser, Product Director for YouTube Kids, recently watched "Photosynthesis for Kids" on the Kids Learning Tube channel with his 2nd grade daughter.